Susan Yusuf, front, and Safa Ali of Lewiston embrace Friday during the Djiboutian 41st Independence Day gathering. The largely Muslim nation is about one-quarter the size of Maine.
Celebrants dance to music from the Djiboutian singer Dahir Youssouf as they celebrate their homeland's 41st Independence Day at the Ramada Inn in Lewiston on Friday night. Youssouf came over from his home in Holland in order to preform at the party.
Djiboutian food is served after a couple hours of dancing to the hundreds of guests during the 41st Independence Day at the Ramada Inn in Lewiston on Friday night.
Idel Kalib, center, of Auburn, celebrates Djibouti's 41st Independence Day at the Ramada Inn in Lewiston on Friday, June 29, 2018, alongside friends and family .
Partygoers celebrate Djibouti's 41st Independence Day at the Ramada Inn in Lewiston on Friday night.
Fathia Ali addresses the crowd at the Djibouti 41st Independence Day celebration at the Ramada Inn in Lewiston on Friday night. Ali, of Lewiston, was one of the organizers who helped to together this years' event.
Partygoers begin to arrive at the party to celebrate Djibouti's 41st Independence Day at the Ramada Inn in Lewiston on Friday night. Djiboutian-Mainers from the Portland area and the Lewiston-Auburn area all came out to celebrate.
Awo-Ayan Mohamed, 7, of Westbrook, gets the party started early dancing with the Djiboutian flag before the crowd arrived to celebrate the country's 41st Independence Day at the Ramada Inn in Lewiston on Friday night.
Nasteho Moussa, center, stands next to Halimo Idleh Hassan, right, during a playing of Djibouti's national anthem at the 41st Independence Day at the Ramada Inn in Lewiston on Friday night. Hassan, 62, lived under French colonization for much of her younger years and spoke to the crowd about what it was like to live through their independence.
Djiboutian singer Dahir Youssouf performs at the Djibouti 41st Independence Day party at the Ramada Inn in Lewiston on Friday night. Youssouf came over from his home in Holland in order to preform at the party.
From left, Saida Moumin, 5, stands up with her grandmother Halimo Idleh Hassan, 62, as Hassan talks to the crowd of Djiboutians about what living under French colonization was like at the Djiboutian 41st Independence Day party at the Ramada Inn in Lewiston on Friday, June 29, 2018.
A little girl laughs as she dances with her family to the music of singer Dahir Youssouf during Djibouti's 41st Independence Day celebration at the Ramada Inn in Lewiston on Friday night.
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